Neo Ntsoma

Ignited with the fuel of passion and confronted by the towering odds of a market, known for not giving second chances, Neo Ntsoma, pioneered her way forward, as a talented photojournalist, in 1998. In the wake of a law that divided a nation, and armed with a vision to prove to South Africa and the world, that African women could excel at professions; that had solely been associated with men. To date she is the first female recipient of the CNN African Journalist Award for photography and the recipient of the National Geographic All Roads Photography Award.

Her exceptional wealth of her African photographic talent remains vibrant and still receives the global appreciation that it richly deserve. Some of Ntsoma’s works have been exhibited at a variety of film and photo festivals, including the All Roads Film Festival in Los Angeles; the Santa Fe Film Festival in New Mexico; Contact Photo Festival in Toronto; Chobi Mela, the South Asia Festival of Photography; and Rome Festival of Photography. They have also been used in a host of local and international publications, such as The Washington Post, Time magazine, The London Telegraph, Marie Claire, Destiny & Destiny Man, Forbes Africa & Forbes Africa Woman, to mention a few.

Ntsoma’s photo-project, South African Youth ID: Kwaito Culture, appeared in the book, Moving in Time, an anthology of work from South African photographers in celebration of the country’s 10 years of democracy.

Ntsoma worked for The Star newspapers, before starting her own company, Neo Ntsoma Productions. She is recognized as one of the firmament lights among the new breed of photographers in South Africa. With the quintessential understanding of the importance of mentorship, she lectures frequently, both within and outside of the country, providing creative direction and strategic advice for photographers at all stages in their career who what to take their work to the next level.

Ntsoma is a regular speaker at the Johannesburg’s Market Photo Workshop and at the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ). She has been a guest at the New York International Centre for Photography (ICP), Stanford University in San Francisco, as well as Pathshala, the South Asian Institute of Photography in Bangladesh, where she taught for a year.

She has served as a judge on numerous photographic competitions, including the Fuji Film Press Awards and National Arts Festival/ BASA Arts Journalism Awards. She is also a member of the National Adjudicating Committee for the The Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards, as well as the SADC Media Awards..

Furthermore, Ntsoma co-edited the book, Women by Women, which is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March. The largest demonstrations staged in South African history, 20 000 women of all races marched against legislation aimed at tightening the apartheid government’s control over the movement of black women in urban areas.

In 2006, she was named one of the ‘100 Most Influential Women’ alongside Oprah Winfrey, Sheila Johnson and Indra Nooyi in a list published by Media24, Africa’s largest media group.

Ntsoma studied at the Tshwane University of Technology where she graduated in (1995) and the Cape University of Technology (1992-1993).

Warm Durban Greetings,
On behalf of the KZN Fashion Council we would like to extend the attached invite for Pure London trade show to designers under the National and Provincial Fashion Councils.
We look forward to the good response and eagerness from the ESTABLISHED designers.
The KZN Fashion Council will be arranging a pavilion to PURE LONDON 2018 which take place in London AROUND END July 2018.
Pure London is the UK’s leading fashion buying event. High calibre fashion buyers from independent and department stores, multiples and e-tailers attend each season, not only to source brands, but also place orders. WESITE: www.purelondon.com
KZNFC is in the process of applying for Sector Specific Assistance Scheme (SSAS) funding for the above-mentioned show and this funding will cover the following costs for exhibitors:
- 100% of the costs of return flights;
- 100% of the costs of ground transport;
- 100% of the rental of the stand;
- 100% of the cost of accommodation;
- 100% of the costs related to the transport of the product to trade show and back;
Please note that approved Well Established companies will be required to pay a R3 000 administration fee to KZNFC. This amount will only be required once the DTI have approved the funding and your company name is included on the approval letter.
Please confirm if you are interested in attending this event by e-mailing Nomqhele Ndlovu at ackie@kznfc.org and we will send you the required application form and checklist.
Please note that the completed SSAS application form, together with supporting documentation, must be submitted by no later than the 2ND FEBRUARY 2018 4PM SHARP!

From over 400 entries received across South Africa, twelve South African fashion industry creatives have been selected to participate in the Threads Accelerator programme, which kicks off this week.
The finalists certainly represent the inspiring diversity of the South African fashion aesthetic - from designers of maternity wear, modesty wear and luxury women ranges, to belts and handbag design houses and denim wear designers, the participants in the inaugural Threads programme have one thing in common – they are each running fashion businesses with enormous potential to become major industry power players.
“Selecting the finalists from the deluge of entries we received was thrilling and somewhat overwhelming – we really had our work cut out for us in whittling the list down to the final 12” comments Tania Habimana, co-founder of the Threads programme “The creativity in the South African fashion industry is world class - all that these entrepreneurs really need is the vital sales, administrative, financial, and marketing rigor that’ll take their businesses to the next level. We at Threads, alongside with our sponsor Standard Bank, and partner Mercedes-Benz, cannot wait to commence this journey with these very deserving entrepreneurs.”
The 12 participants of the Threads – Stitched by Standard Bank accelerator programme are:
1. Anthony Smith of 2Bop – street wear label based in Cape Town. They manufacture and produce headwear, apparel and accessories.
2. Majda Rabin of Chimpel – a Cape Town based luxury leather accessories (belts and handbags) design house. Website: www.chimpel.co.za, Instagram @Chimpel_South Africa, Facebook Chimpel – Luxury Leather Accessories, Twitter @ChimpelM
3. Evans Zemba of Walk In Closet (WIC) Designs, a Port Elizabeth based men & womens leisurewear fashion house , Instagram @wicdesigns
4. Thabo Makhetha of Thabo Makhetha an African luxury brand, well known for her Basotho blanket “Kobo” creations, the brand’s Classic Starburst piece, was nominated for the Most Beautiful Object in South Africa 2016(MBOISA) at the Design Indaba. Website – Thabomakhetha.com, Instagram @Tmakcc
5. Junior Mmotla of MAMAGASEHOME, a men & womans streetwear fashion range - Twitter/Instagram @Mamagasehome
6. Yamkela Lize of Refined Revolt, an East-London based textile designer and handbag accessory manufacturer. Twitter & Instagram - @refinedrevolt, website www.refinedrevolt.com
7. Asanda Mali of Mal’stones – a Port Elizabeth based body-positive women’s wear fashion house. Instagram/Twitter - @Malstones
8. Tshego Manche of La Manche Clothing a Joburg based premium womanswear fashion house. Instagram - @lamancheofficial, Facebook - La Manche, twitter @LaMancheSA
9. Jacqueline Munsami of JSE Couture – a Durban based fashion house that has three lines, Jacqui Emmanuel Couture, Jacqui Emmanuel Pret n’ Porter and Emmanuel Sportsluxe. Their prints are exclusive to their label, as are their laser cuts, embroidery and embossing. Instagram: @Emmaneulsportsluxe, Facebook Jacqui Emmanel ii, Website www.jacquiemmanuel.com
10. Lyndall Moodley of Hannah Grace Maternity, a Durban based maternity wear designed to provide expectant and nursing mothers with comfortable, affordable and versatile clothing. Website - www.hannahgrace-sa.com
11. Sabiha Badsha of Haya Collective , a Johannesburg based contemporary modest wear brand – website www.hayacollective.com , Instagram, Facebook & Twitter - @HayaCollective
12. Tshepo Mohlala of Tshepo the Jeanmaker – a premium lifestyle denim brand with strong roots in South Africa.

Today is an honor for the KZNFC to announce that our development and mentorship beneficiary designer @Samuel Lebakeng Mosala has made it to the top 3 of the Intern South Africa. The KZNFC would like to thank him for all his hard work, and determination. Tonight let us all join in and help @samuellebakeng bring The Intern South Africa title home. All you have to is Tweet and Facebook #TeamSam

Durban Designer Treasure Cindy is looking for an Assisting fashion Intern who understands basics in pattern making/cutting️ / Garment Technology🖍 / Grading and Garment construction.
Could be fresh from college or experienced person.
Has to be in Durban and easy to get to the Musgrave area.
Please urgently mail Treasure if you are interested with documents fitting requirements and think you could kill this thing 💯.
treasurecindi@gmail.com
Subject :Assisting fashion intern

The THE AFRICA FASHION EXCHANGE is a market intelligence, thought-leadership, business exchange and market access platform program driven by the KwaZulu-Natal Fashion Council. It is key to the survival of the Fashion Industry in the Province, the country and the continent. It is envisaged to solve the most inherent challenge of the industry, with most of South African and African designers not getting the necessary exposure and platforms to market their products, exchange business ideas and set the agenda for the fashion sector in sub-Saharan Africa.